Sheryl A. Moore, Esquire
Moore Rabinowitz Law
1776 North Pine Island Road, Suite 102
Plantation, FL 33322
754-216-5300
I am sure you have heard of a wedding registry and a baby registry, but a putative father registry? What is a putative father and what are they registering for? A putative father is a man who is alleging to be the father of a child who is born to a woman who he is not married to at the time of his child’s birth. Why is this important? Many people have children out of wedlock. Some casual relationships (and one-night stands) result in a baby being born several monthslater.Any man who has a child out of wedlock, who does not want their child placed for adoption, should register with the putative father registry. Doing so will provide that man with certain rights as an unmarried father.
Florida’s Bureau of Vital Statistics keeps a putative father registry for the purpose of allowing a man, alleging to be the unmarried biological father of a child, to preserve his right to receive notice that a child of his is being placed for adoption. Once notified that his child is being placed for adoption, that man needs to either consent to the intended adoption or he may refuse his consent, which means the adoption may not go through. In very simple terms, this is a place for dads to sign up if a woman who they slept with is pregnant and she wants to give his baby up for adoption. In Florida, an adoption should not occur unless a search of the putative father registry is performed.
How do you sign up? You need to fill out a claim of paternity form and pay a $9.00 filing/indexing fee. Visit this website for additional information and to complete the form: http://www.floridahealth.gov/certificates/certificates/birth/Putative_Father
If you have any questions or wish to file a paternity action in court claiming rights to your baby, reach out to me.
